News of: Thursday, 5th of April, 2012

Front Page

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday framed 23 specific charges against detained BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in connection with genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of 1971.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday brought 23 charges against BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in connection with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Chairman of the tribunal Justice Nizamul Huq yesterday read out the charges in an open court. The charges brought under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 are published as it is in brief:

BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's court theatrics turned out to be the highlight for the audience at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday although his indictment was the feature of the day.

The World Bank's temporary ban on a Canadian company, which participated in the bidding of Padma bridge project, proved that corruption had plunged the project to uncertainty, BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.

Cross-examination of former director general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Maj Gen (retd) Sadik Hasan Rumi, the sixth prosecution witness in the 10 truckloads of arms haul cases, concluded yesterday.

Students of Dhaka University Jagannath Hall last night staged a demonstration in Shahbagh area protesting recent attack on minorities in Satkhira district over staging a play at a school in Chakdah village.

Along with electricity, now the capital's residents are also facing acute water crisis, that too, even before summer is here in full swing. In fact, some residents of the capital, such as those living in posh areas of the city even, have been going virtually without water for over a month. They are having to buy water for drinking, cooking and washing, resulting in a hike in their regular expenses. Their sufferings are endless, living in an unhygienic environment with unclean toilets, etc.

With a little more than half of the season left, the Grameenphone Bangladesh Premier League has virtually turned into a two-horse race after three-time champions Abahani joined Muktijoddha at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Farashganj SC at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Home side Rajshahi dominated the first day against BKSP in the first semifinal of the Standard Chartered Bank Young Tigers National U-16 Cricket competition at the Shaheed Kamruz-zaman Stadium yesterday.

West Indies have recalled batsman Narsingh Deonarine for the first Test against Australia in Barbados, starting April 7. The 13-member squad also includes fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who missed the one-dayers and Twenty20 due to injury and illness.

Andres Iniesta underlined his importance to Barcelona with the goal that ended AC Milan's resistance on Tuesday and ushered his side into a record-equalling fifth consecutive Champions League semifinal.

Pragyan Ojha made a seamless transition from Deccan Chargers to Mumbai Indians, taking two wickets in his first two overs for his new side to pull back defending champions Chennai Super Kings just when they were threatening to break free.

Barcelona became the first team to reach five consecutive Champions League semifinals, potentially setting up another meeting with Chelsea. A 52nd-minute goal from Andres Iniesta and the two earlier penalties that gave Leo Messi 14 Champions League goals for the season, equalling Jose Altafini's 50-year-old European Cup record, took them to a 3-1 victory over Milan. As a bonus Barcelona took up their now familiar slot without suspensions and without the returning Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring against them. Instead the Swede departed raging against the referee.

Three Spanish clubs will seek on Thursday to reach the Europa League semifinals and build on the impression that whilst their country is in a financial crisis their football fortunes are in rude health.

Following the end of Australia's Twenty20 series against the West Indies, George Bailey flew all the way from Barbados to the South American nation of Suriname in search of his travel documents to travel to the IPL -- having been given some odd advice that it could not be obtained in Trinidad as expected. Visa obtained, Bailey and his driver set off to fly back to Barbados for Australia's tour match but realised that there was no chance of making the flight in time. The driver knew the pilot and asked to delay the flight. When Bailey reached the plane the pilot insisted on having his photo taken with Bailey before departing.

The commerce ministry sits today with breeders, poultry farmers, importers and officials of some other ministries to come to a decision on egg imports while the prices of the item soared in the local market.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday reminded sponsors and directors of listed firms of the May 22 deadline for raising their stake in their firms to a certain level in line with a regulatory requirement.

Dr S Hafeez Rahman is the director general of Asian Development Bank's South Asia Department (SARD), a post that has never been held by a South Asian. SARD that covers Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka is ADB's largest department. Dr Rahman, who retires today from ADB after serving the organisation for nearly 20 years, was involved in a number of landmark ADB operations, including resumption of the bank's operations in Vietnam in 1994 and Afghanistan in 20022003. He initiated ADB's assistance to Kazakhstan in 1995 in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also played a big role in ADB's stabilisation and recovery assistance to the countries hardest hit by the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis. Dr Rahman also served as ADB's country director in Nepal during the turbulent times of civil conflict.

There is such a thing as regulatory lunacy and one should look no further than directive of Bangladesh regulators requiring sponsor directors of all listed companies to hold minimum of 2 percent total share to maintain their directorship.

The Daily Star in a report, "Air operators may face safety audit", published on B4 on March 29 mistakenly mentioned that Easy Fly Express Ltd does not have the permission of global aviation regulator International Civil Aviation Organisation to start international operations.

An international conference yesterday opined that the Saarc Charter, which was formulated 26 years ago in a different climate, should be revised to address the present aspirations of the member states.

The endless quipping of 50 or so inquisitive minds reverberated though the Chittagong MA Aziz Gymnasium yesterday where “Chirayato Chattagram Prodarshani” (Eternal Chittagong Exhibition) was being held.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday called for expediting the formation of Saarc seed bank, which could ensure vital seed supplies to the member countries in crisis periods following natural disasters.

Some armed mutineers forced the soldiers of now defunct Bangladesh Rifles to take up arms and join the carnage on February 25, 2009, said three prosecution witnesses yesterday in their deposition before the Metropolitan Sessions Judges' Court.

The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined the owners of five brickfields Tk 5.5 lakh in Munshiganj and removed two brickfields in Narial for violating the environmental laws and using drum chimneys.

Govind Narain, one of the last surviving Indian civil service officers who played a key role in formulating India's role in Bangladesh's Liberation War and aiding the formation of the Mukti Bahini, passed away on Tuesday, said his family.

A housewife yesterday succumbed to her burn injuries at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) hours after she was set ablaze allegedly by her husband and in-law relatives at Raninagar in Rajshahi city.

The government has taken initiatives to impart subject-wise training to students of high school, college and university levels in freelancing outsourcing to facilitate both learning and earning at home.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested three persons in the city yesterday over their alleged involvement in persuading patients to go to private clinics and diagnostic centres leaving the government hospital.

Shawkat Jamil Khan, a former photojournalist of The Daily Star, has left a vacuum in the arena of photography, as a few people having such talents, education, and modesty choose to have this career, friends and colleagues said at a memorial meeting yesterday.

National

Growers and agriculture officials expect bumper production of mango in the district this season as favourable weather conditions have helped about 70 percent flowering of the trees and smooth growth of the delicious summer fruit.

Students of six schools in Chapainawabganj and Khulna districts yesterday took part in the English language fairs held under English in Schools (EIS) programme, a joint initiative of The Daily Star and mobile operator Robi.

Around 60,000 farmers in Terokhada upazila of the district are now beaming with joy as the authorities concerned have started removing water logging from over 13,000 hectares of land in Bhutiar Beel (water body) to make it fit for farming again.

At least 10 people were injured in a clash at Binnabari Char under Belkuchi upazila on Tuesday night. The injured were admitted to the Sirajganj and Belkuchi hospitals where three of them were in critical condition. Kamrul Islam, SI of Belkuchi PS said, a cow of Abdul Mojid damaged the paddy field of Abdul Malek Talukder on Tuesday afternoon. At this, Malek took the cow to his house. When Mojid went to bring back the cow, Malek refused. On Tuesday night, they along with their men locked in a fierce clash injuring 10 from both sides.

Mystery shrouded the death of an octogenarian man who was found dead at his courtyard in Tahirpur upazila early Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Rahis Ali, 80. Police said, locals saw the body of Rahis at the courtyard of his house at Barochhara Customs Station at about 4:00 am and informed them. Later, the law enforcers recovered the body and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy. There were marks of injury in his throat. Locals said Rahis had not been in a good terms with his wife and sons for long.

A schoolboy allegedly committed suicide at Bhoktipur Chowdhurypara village of Ranipukur union in Mithapukur upazila on Tuesday noon. The deceased was identified as Bulbul Mian, 11, student of class six at a local school and son of Aynal Hossain. According to Mithapukur police and family sources, Bulbul Mian took pesticide on Tuesday noon following a family feud and died after a few minutes. A UD case was filed.

A khadem (caretaker) of a mosque was killed by lightning at Udhonpara village in Lalpur upazila on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Muktar Hossain, 35, khadem of Udhonpara Mosque. Local sources said Muktar was struck by lightning at about 11:00 pm while returning home from a waz mahfil in the area. He was rushed to the upazila health complex where attending doctors declared him dead.

International

Two Indian army units that moved towards New Delhi on a January night without notifying the government raised alarm in the capital, the Indian Express newspaper reported yesterday, but the Defense Ministry and army quickly denied the report.

The United States and Afghanistan are close to clinching an agreement that will give Kabul more authority over night-time raids, resolving an issue that threatened to derail negotiations on a long-term US military presence, US officials said Tuesday.

The United States charged the self-proclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, along with four alleged plotters yesterday, vowing to seek the death penalty in a much-awaited military trial.

After a hiatus of two years, artist Mohammad Iqbal is holding a solo painting exhibition. The exhibition, titled “Peace in the Times of Disquiet”, will open at Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in Dhanmondi, Dhaka on April 6, and will continue till April 17. His last solo exhibition was held at Gallery Chitrak in 2010.

Shahnaj Khushi is a popular face on the television, especially when it comes to plays with rural settings. The versatile actress, however, is more than capable of portraying any role that comes her way. Beginning her acting journey with 'Mukto Natok', the seasoned actress survived the test of time by consistent performances on both the stage and TV. The Daily Star (TDS) recently had the chance to interview the actress.

Bangladeshi theatre director Kamaluddin Nilu has been re-elected as a jury member of the International Ibsen Award Committee, according to Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) sources. Nilu, who formed the theatre troupe CAT in Bangladesh, was one of the key members of the first Ibsen Award Committee. The committee was formed by the Norwegian government in 2007.

OP-ED

Human beings, at least the good ones, are brought up to believe that human life is invaluable, and to put a price tag on it would be a callous disregard for an intrinsically priceless gift of God. However, to quote a Time magazine report on health, insurance companies in the US calculate that to make a treatment worth its cost, it must guarantee one year of "quality life" for $50,000 or less. And one wonders whether it is not this calculation that has determined the valuation of the life of civilians killed in Afghanistan in military operations.

Earlier this week, the Syrian government accepted a peace plan proposed by Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general. Annan's six-point initiative to resolve the crisis in Syria calls for a "political process" to address the Syrian people's aspirations, a cessation of fighting and troop movements, quicker release of political prisoners, and allowing humanitarian aid, access for journalists and greater freedom of assembly.

Corruption is a pervasive social vice. It is deeply rooted in the society as a "convention," or "tradition," or "psychological need" or "necessity," and is practiced not only in the public sector but also in the corporate sector and private life.

The fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day was observed on April 2, 2012. Every year, autism organisations around the world celebrate the day with awareness-raising events. Autism is a life-long developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life. The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high and it has a tremendous impact on children, their families, communities and societies.

March 25, 2010, was a dawn of hope when the government formed the International Crimes Tribunal, an investigation agency and prosecution panel to try and punish those who committed crimes against humanity during the country's liberation war in 1971.